Just as the Demon Lords fell silent, a hurried whooshing sound suddenly came from outside the hall, accompanied by a strong surge of Devilish Qi.
Immediately after, a figure stumbled into the hall, it was none other than Evil Eye Demon Lord, who was guarding the Demon Abyss Channel; his robes were torn, his left eye was tightly shut, and the pupil of his right eye flickered with a strange pale light, his face full of pain, as if he was struggling to resist the erosion of some power.
"Evil Eye?!"
Blood Demon Lord suddenly stood up, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes, "Why are you here? What happened in the Demon Abyss?"
Evil Eye Demon Lord's voice was hoarse as he trembled, "Everyone, something terrible has happened! The Demon Abyss... the Demon Abyss is being invaded by the Netherworld, and the Demon Abyss is collapsing!"
"What?!" All the Demon Lords' expressions changed simultaneously, and Soul Erosion Demon Lord even stepped forward, asking sharply, "What exactly happened? Explain clearly!"
Evil Eye Demon Lord struggled to lift his head, the pale light in his right eye flickering erratically, and he said painfully, "A strange pale aura suddenly erupted from the depths of the Demon Abyss. That aura was like a living thing, and wherever it passed, all demons and demonic plants were eroded and assimilated. Even the Law of the Demon Abyss's will was disintegrating. I personally saw several Demon Generals guarding the Demon Abyss instantly swallowed by that aura, turning into gray-white Puppets... I barely managed to escape to report!"
"Pale aura... erosion and assimilation..." Soul Erosion Demon Lord muttered to himself, his face changing drastically, and he said in disbelief, "Is it the Netherworld's power? But wasn't the Netherworld already Sealed? How could it...!"
"Netherworld!" Phantom Shadow Demon Lord's pupils constricted, and he said in shock, "Are you saying that the Netherworld's will has broken through the Seal and is now eroding the Demon Abyss?"
"Impossible!" Mad Bone Demon Lord roared, but his voice trembled slightly, "The Netherworld has long been Sealed by several Demon God adults beyond the endless Void Realm. How could it suddenly descend upon the Demon Abyss? This must be a conspiracy of the Heavenly Dao Alliance!"
"Conspiracy?" Blood Demon Lord sneered and retorted, "If the Heavenly Dao Alliance had such means, the Spirit Realm would not have fallen, and we would have already lost. Now it seems that the two Demon God adults' disappearance is probably also related to this Netherworld's power...!"
As soon as these words fell, the entire Demon Hall fell into dead silence. All the Demon Lords' faces became extremely grim. They knew very well that if the Netherworld's power had not invaded and caused an anomaly in the Demon Abyss, the two Demon God adults would not have failed to respond to their 'requests' until now.
If the Netherworld truly descended upon the Demon Abyss, it would not only be a disaster for the Demon Abyss, but also a catastrophe for the Three Realms!
"We can't hesitate any longer!" Soul Erosion Demon Lord suddenly stood up, his voice filled with determination, "We must immediately retreat to the Demon Abyss and investigate the truth! If the Netherworld's power has truly broken through the Seal, we must unite all forces that can be united to jointly resist this catastrophe!"
"Unite all forces?" Phantom Shadow Demon Lord gave a bitter smile, "Are you saying we even need to unite with the Immortal Spirit Realm and the Heavenly Dao Alliance?"
"Exactly!" Soul Erosion Demon Lord's gaze was firm, "The Netherworld's power far exceeds our imagination. If we let it erode the Demon Abyss, the next will be the Spirit Realm and the Immortal Spirit Realm. By then, all grudges and hatred will be insignificant. Only survival is the only truth!"
"Soul Erosion is right!" Blood Demon Lord took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Pass on my order, the entire army immediately withdraws from the Spirit Realm and returns to the Demon Abyss. At the same time, send envoys to the Immortal Spirit Realm and the Heavenly Dao Alliance to explain the situation and request a temporary ceasefire to jointly resist the Netherworld!"
"But..." Mad Bone Demon Lord still wanted to say something but was interrupted by Blood Demon Lord.
"No 'buts'!" Blood Demon Lord's voice was filled with an unquestionable decisiveness, "This is the only way out! If we continue to fight among ourselves, once the Netherworld's will completely descends, we will all perish within it. The strange power will only erode all living beings and assimilate their bodies; it won't distinguish between friend and foe."
The Demon Lords looked at each other and finally nodded. The current situation was beyond their control. Only by uniting all forces could they hope to find a glimmer of hope in this catastrophe.
The Demon Lords began to divide their tasks. Some were in charge of the army's retreat, while others dispatched envoys with urgent messages from the Demon Abyss to the Immortal Spirit Realm and the Heavenly Dao Alliance camp in the Spirit Realm.
However, just as the Demon Lords were busy with the retreat, the pale light in Evil Eye Demon Lord's right eye suddenly burst, turning into wisps of thread-like white mist that twisted into strange white patterns in the air.
"Not good, Evil Eye has been assimilated by the strangeness! Quick, restrain him." Phantom Shadow Demon Lord suddenly shouted, reminding the other three Demon Lords.
Indeed, the pale light in Evil Eye Demon Lord's right eye socket had spread to his entire eyeball. Countless tiny gray-white patterns were crawling up his neck along his blood vessels. Under his torn robes, his originally jet-black demonic scales were peeling off one by one, revealing pale, maggot-like soft flesh underneath. That flesh was actually squirming on its own, growing translucent white tentacles.
Blood Demon Lord reacted the fastest. He formed hand Seals, and a bloody barrier instantly enveloped Evil Eye Demon Lord. However, those pale tentacles ignored the barrier's obstruction and directly penetrated through, their tips splitting into countless tiny white threads that spread outwards like living things. It flew out of the Demon Hall, about to escape.
"This... how is this possible!" Blood Demon Lord's pupils constricted. His Blood Devilish Qi had no effect on those pale tentacles.
Seeing this, Soul Erosion Demon Lord immediately conjured his Natal demonic artifact, the "Soul Erosion Banner." Countless ferocious ghost faces appeared on the dark banner and rushed towards Evil Eye Demon Lord. However, as soon as those ghost faces approached the pale tentacles, they were frozen by some power, instantly turning into gray-white stone sculptures, and then disintegrating into dust.
"Stop him, don't let him escape!" Soul Erosion Demon Lord shouted sharply, his voice carrying a hint of unconcealed fear.
Evil Eye Demon Lord's body was completely twisted, his limbs bent at strange angles, and dense pale patterns appeared under his skin. A low roar came from his throat, mixed with countless overlapping gibberish, making one's scalp tingle.
Like demonic sounds piercing their ears, the four Demon Lords found it difficult to approach for a while.
Just as the four Demon Lords were at a loss, a deafening thunderclap suddenly came from the sky. A brilliant golden lightning bolt streaked across the sky and landed directly on Evil Eye Demon Lord. That golden light contained a vast Heavenly Dao will, instantly suppressing the spread of the pale tentacles.
"It's the Heavenly Dao will of the Spirit Realm!" Phantom Shadow Demon Lord exclaimed, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.
The golden lightning, like a heavenly punishment, descended, instantly engulfing Evil Eye Demon Lord. That lightning contained the supreme Heavenly Dao pressure, as if the Laws between heaven and earth had condensed into substance at this moment, turning into an irresistible force. The pale tentacles trembled violently under the lightning's bombardment, emitting a piercing shriek, as if enduring unimaginable pain.
"Boom—!"
The lightning exploded, and Evil Eye Demon Lord's body was completely swallowed. The pale tentacles rapidly disintegrated in the golden light, turning into wisps of gray-white smoke that vanished into thin air. However, Evil Eye Demon Lord's body did not recover because of this; instead, it gradually cracked under the impact of the lightning, his skin peeling off inch by inch, revealing the pale, maggot-like flesh underneath. That flesh squirmed in the lightning, as if struggling to resist the Heavenly Dao's suppression.
"Ah—!"
Evil Eye Demon Lord let out a shrill scream, and the pale strange light in his right eye suddenly extinguished, replaced by a charred corpse.
Seeing this, the four Demon Lords couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. While relieved, they couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.
The Netherworld's erosive power was so terrifying that even a powerful Cultivator like Evil Eye Demon Lord could not resist it, ultimately turning to ashes under the Heavenly Dao's lightning punishment. The four Demon Lords looked at each other, their eyes filled with solemnity and apprehension. What would it be like if the Netherworld's power had already spread throughout the Demon Abyss?
The four Demon Lords dared not delay any longer and immediately led the demonic Cultivators and the Devil Abyss Army to retreat rapidly towards the Three Realms Passage.
Along the way, Devilish Qi surged, and a suffocating aura permeated the heavens and earth. The atmosphere became incredibly heavy. Countless demonic Cultivators had solemn expressions, and the Devil Abyss Army also appeared unusually agitated, seemingly sensing some invisible threat.
As the army approached the Three Realms Passage, the four Demon Lords simultaneously felt a strong fluctuation. That fluctuation came from the direction of the Demon Abyss World. The will of the Demon Abyss's heaven and earth was fiercely contending with some strange power. A series of low rumbling sounds came from the other side of the Demon Abyss Channel, and the entire Channel was trembling.
"This aura... it's the Demon Abyss's will resisting the Netherworld's invasion!" Soul Erosion Demon Lord frowned deeply, his gaze solemn as he looked towards the Channel leading to the Demon Abyss World.
"The Netherworld's power has already invaded the Demon Abyss!" Blood Demon Lord said in a deep voice, a hint of anxiety flashing in his eyes, "We must hurry back, otherwise, once the Demon Abyss's heaven and earth will is completely eroded, the entire Demon Abyss will become the Netherworld's Puppet!"
"But this power... is too strong!" Phantom Shadow Demon Lord whispered, a hint of unease in his tone, "Even if we rush back, it's probably difficult to reverse the situation."
"No matter what, we cannot sit idly by!" Mad Bone Demon Lord roared, Battle Intent burning in his eyes, "The Demon Abyss is our Foundation. If the Demon Abyss collapses, we will also be homeless! Even if we exhaust everything, we must stop the Netherworld's erosion!"
"Mad Bone, calm down for a moment. Think about Evil Eye's fate. Perhaps the two Demon God adults also..." Soul Erosion Demon Lord quickly interjected to remind him.
Upon hearing this, the three Demon Lords immediately calmed down, a hint of hesitation and fear flashing in their eyes. Evil Eye Demon Lord's fate was vivid in their minds; even a powerful Cultivator like him could not resist the Netherworld's erosion, ultimately turning to ashes under the Heavenly Dao's lightning punishment. If the two Demon God adults also met with misfortune, how could they cope?
...
Just as the Devil Abyss Army was rapidly retreating, the atmosphere in the Heavenly Dome Hall, the headquarters of the Heavenly Dao Alliance in the Spirit Realm, was equally solemn. On the high seat in the hall, Heavenly Dao Alliance Leader Yin Wuya sat in the main position, his brows exuding deep majesty. Below him sat Elder Qin of Tai Xuan Sword Sect, Sect Master Qi Xuanming of Xuantian Sword Sect, and a group of Sect Masters and Clan Chiefs of Cultivation Families. At this moment, everyone's expressions were grave.
"Everyone, the Demon Abyss's special envoy has sent a message that an anomaly has occurred in the Demon Abyss, suffering a strange invasion that is spreading throughout the Demon Abyss. If left to spread, the Spirit Realm and Immortal Spirit Realm will be integrated, and by then, our realm will also be spared no one!" Yin Wuya looked at everyone, his gaze like lightning, and asked, "The Demon Abyss has been invading the Spirit Realm for hundreds of years, but now they send an envoy to seek help. This matter is no small feat. Everyone, what do you think of this?"
As soon as Yin Wuya's words fell, the hall immediately erupted in an uproar. The Sect Masters and Clan Chiefs of the Cultivation Families all discussed in low voices, their expressions filled with doubt. The Demon Abyss had invaded the Spirit Realm for hundreds of years, causing countless deaths and injuries.
Now that they had caught their breath and had the upper hand, the Demon Abyss showing weakness with such an excuse inevitably made people suspect whether this was another conspiracy.
Elder Qin of Tai Xuan Sword Sect snorted coldly, his gaze as sharp as a sword, and said in a deep voice, "Alliance Leader, this request for help is probably a delaying tactic. If we easily believe them, we might fall into their trap. We should press on with our victory and utterly annihilate them!"
"That's right, the Demon Abyss has invaded the Spirit Realm for hundreds of years, slaughtering countless Cultivators of our Spirit Realm. Now that they show weakness and ask for help, it's clearly a delaying tactic! We should seize this opportunity to launch a full-scale attack on the Demon Abyss and completely eradicate these scourges!"
"Press on with our victory and utterly annihilate them!"
"What are we waiting for? Immediately send troops to pursue and kill them!"
...
The Sect Masters and Clan Chiefs were all agitated, filled with Killing Intent.
Sect Master Qi Xuanming of Xuantian Sword Sect frowned slightly and interrupted, "What Elder Qin said is not without reason, but this matter is no small feat. The Devil Abyss Army's movements are clear; they have already begun to withdraw from this realm. If the Demon Abyss is truly invaded by the Netherworld, and we sit idly by, once the Netherworld's power spreads to the Spirit Realm, the consequences will be unimaginable. In my opinion, we should treat this cautiously, guarding against the Demon Abyss's conspiracy while also being wary of the Netherworld's threat."
Yin Wuya nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, his voice steady and powerful, "Sect Leader Qi is absolutely right. This matter concerns the survival of the Three Realms. We cannot disregard the bigger picture for temporary grudges. We need to ascertain the truth before making a decision."
Elder Qin snorted coldly, dissatisfied, "Sect Leader Qi, you are too benevolent! The Demon Abyss has always been cunning. This request for help is probably a trap they set. If we easily believe them, we might fall into their trap!"
Yin Wuya smiled slightly, his gaze profound, "I understand Elder Qin's concerns. Therefore, I propose that we send an elite team to the Demon Abyss to investigate the truth. If the Netherworld's power has indeed invaded the Demon Abyss, we will make further plans. If this matter is false, we can also withdraw in time to avoid falling into danger."
Qi Xuanming nodded in agreement, "Alliance Leader's plan is very sound. We can send several Elders with profound cultivation to lead the team and investigate. At the same time, all Sects and factions in the Spirit Realm also need to strengthen their vigilance to prevent the Demon Abyss from launching a surprise attack."
"Who among you is willing to go!" Yin Wuya looked at everyone and asked.
As soon as Yin Wuya's words fell, the hall immediately fell silent. The Sect Masters and Clan Chiefs of the Cultivation Families looked at each other, their expressions filled with hesitation and deliberation. The Demon Abyss was unpredictable and dangerous, and the Netherworld's power was even more strange and difficult to guard against. This trip could be described as a near-certain death, and no one dared to readily agree.
A moment later, Elder Qin of Tai Xuan Sword Sect snorted coldly and stood up, his gaze as sharp as a sword, his tone carrying a hint of disdain, "Since you all are so timid, then I shall lead the team! I want to see what tricks they are playing!"
Yin Wuya nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, "Elder Qin is indeed courageous. You shall lead this trip, but be sure to act carefully."
Qi Xuanming also stood up, his tone calm yet firm, "Alliance Leader, I am willing to go with Elder Qin. This trip is dangerous, and one more person means one more certainty."
Yin Wuya nodded, "Good, with Sect Leader Qi accompanying, this trip will be more certain. Elder Qin, Sect Leader Qi, you two each lead an elite team and immediately go to the Demon Abyss border to investigate. The rest of the Sects and factions must strengthen their defenses and be ready to respond to any sudden situations at any time."
Qin Feng and Qi Xuanming replied in unison, "As you command!" (End of Chapter)
